Nut-lock.



No.. 655,022. Patented luly 3|, |900.

D. W. SEAVER.

NUT LOCK.

(Application filed Apr. 16, 1900,)

(No Model.)

NrTEn STATES e PATENT Clinics,

DAVID VVALTON SEAVER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

NUT-LOCK.

SPCIFICTO forming part of Letters Patent To. 655,022, dated July 31, 1900. Application filed April 16, 1900. Serial No. 13,067. (No model.)

To cir/ZZ 1,077,011@ it mag/cmwerf Be it knownthat LDAVID WALTON SEAVER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city and State of New York, h ave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nut-Locks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had therein to the 'accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure l is a horizontal sectional View of a rail-joint provided with my improved locking device; Fig. 2, a perspective View of the same, and Fig. 3 a plan view in detail of the locking-plate.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive locking device for the nuts of rail-joints which may be readily applied to the joints as now universally constructed and as readily detached therefrom at will and which when applied will be held securely in place against rattling or accidental removal, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

The invention consists, essentially, of asingle strip or plate of sheet metal having a series of openings formed in it for the reception of the several nuts it is desired to lock, these openings corresponding in number, shape, size, and position with the nuts, said plate or strip being curved longitudinally and made elastic substantially throughout its length and provided at each end uwith a bendable inward-turned hook, which when struck with a hammer or other tool may be bent inward behind the respective ends of the fish-plate and clamped between the same and the adjacent face of the rail, as more fully hereinafter 'set forth.

Referring to the drawings by reference-letters,A designates the sheet-metal strip, which is adapted to lie throughout its length closely against the outer face of the fish-plate and which is provided at intervals with openings correspondingin size, shape, number, and position to the nuts to be locked, these openings being formed by cutting and bending up from the bodyof the metal a/portion thereof, the cut-up parts being pressed or bent outward around the edges of each opening to form outward-extending flanges G, which embrace the sides of the nut and form a broad bearing therefor. The plate is curved lon gitudii nally and is made slightly elastic, except at each end, which is formed into a `bendable hook H, which is formed by bending the end of the strip first slightly outward and then curving and bending it inward, the extreme end of the hook being directed toward the opposite end of the plate, as shown in Fig. 3. The ends of the plate that form the hooks are narrowed somewhat with respect to the body of the plate, and the hooks are of such length that the distance between their inwardturned extremities is slightly greater than the length of the fish-plate, whereby when the device is applied to the ish-plate and the main part of the plate is iiattened against the face of the sh-plate the two hooks will pass the ends thereof without engagement therewith, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3.

In applying the device it will be observed that it is simply necessary to place the plate so that the nuts will protrude through the openings and straighten or flatten out the plate sufficiently to bring the ends of the plate in against the web portion of the rails. Then by a blow with a hammer each end of the plate may be quickly bent in. behind the end of the fish-plate a suitable distance to securely hold the plate in place. The natural elasticity of the metal will assist in holding V`the device in place and prevent rattling.

It will be observed that the peculiar formation of the hooks enab'lesthe device to be readily applied to the iish-plates after the rail-joint is bolted up tightly, there being generally sufficient space between the ends of the {ish-plate and the rails to enable the thin ends of the plate to be driven into place with a single blow of aham mer. It will also be observed that the elasticity of the plate not only prevents rattling, which would surely occur with a non-elastic plate unless the inserted ends fitted the cavity between the ish-plate and the rail completely, but also avoids the necessity of driving the ends of the hooks entirely into the cavity until they wedge or fill the same, so that the curved ends of the hooks may be left to project from the respective ends of the fish-plate in the form of loops or eyes, in order that a tool may be inserted in the projecting -loops or eyes to readily remove the hooked ends without destroying the locking-plate, thereby perL IOO mitting thelocking-plate to be used repeat'- the plate and etendng inward and vtoward edly until the bendable hooks are too Weak eachother, said plate having a series .of open.-

to safely hold the device in place. ings for the reception of the nuts to be locked.

Having thus fully described myinvention, lll; ,testimony whereof I hereunto aix my I5 5 what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters signature, in the presence of two Witnesses,

Patent, is this .13th day of April, 1900.

In a device for locking the nuts of a railjoint or similar structure an elastic plate DAVID WALTON SEAVER' bowed longitudinally substantially throngh- Witnesses: 1o out its length havingabendable hook on each WM. N. STEBBINS,

end, said hooks being on the convex sideof H. Y. WEMPLE, J r. 

